ailgating season has arrived, bringing along with it an atmosphere of camaraderie, drinking, and good times.

Violence and driving under the influence also occur in the wake of tailgating parties, but not nearly to the extent that people might suspect. 

The tailgating party, which is essentially a glorified barbeque held in the vicinity of a public parking lot, has long been a traditional game-day festivity. Athletic departments and communities all over the United States use post-game tailgating to build team relationships and even fundraise for local businesses.

Any student on the WSU campus knows when tailgating season begins. The yellow and red parking lots which flank the Bailey-Brayton Field become not only off-limits to paying students, but crammed with RVs and other vehicles preparing for a weekend of tailgating and game-watching.

The football game might last a couple of hours, but the tailgate lasts all weekend.

Among the most common complaints about tailgate parties are underage drinking, alcohol-related violence, and driving under the influence.

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in Kentucky says investigators are actively seeking out underage tailgaters, according to Western Kentucky University Public Radio. Tailgating is hardly the only venue that features underage people drinking alcohol; it is simply one of many outlets for underage individuals to acquire alcohol.

The tailgate cannot be blamed for underage drinking. In all honesty, it might even be one of the best places for underage drinkers. A heavy police presence and the sheer number of people at the tailgate means underage drinkers have a higher chance of getting help in a bad situation.

Any resulting punishment from that help certainly beats the anonymity of dying in a dorm room or falling out of a window, both of which occurred at WSU last year.

Alcohol-related violence is often proclaimed one of the demons of tailgate culture. The pressure to drink is often blamed for any violence that occurs at tailgate parties, according to Borderzine.

Violence does not seem to be a large part of the visible WSU tailgating scene. Many of the tailgating parties, at least in RV land, involve many people including alumni and families. While drinking at these parties is as common as Cougar gear at the game, any conflicts that occur are not usually serious enough to make headline news.

Alcohol can be the first stop on the road to bad decisions, but just because it’s notorious for making poor ideas seem glamorous, that’s not always the case.

Case in point: Two years ago, an individual under

the influence chucked a javelin at the bus I was riding home from work late on a Friday night. On the other hand, I have only heard of one such incident despite the fact that on any given weekend there is no shortage of drunks in Pullman.

Although the tailgate creates an environment which places intoxicated people in close proximity to their vehicles, there is no correlation between tailgate season and DUI-related injuries or fatalities, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

Statistics released by WSDOT actually show a declining rate of injury and fatality from alcohol-related incidents as the football season continues. These statistics are by month, not by day, so perhaps they’re not the best indicator. However, there is no present literature to suggest a direct relationship between tailgating and alcohol-related injury or death.

Safety concerns aside, tailgates are a fun way to start off the football season and show your Cougar pride.